The Wish Bringer
by LuckyDuck29
Summary: Launchpad makes a discovery that leads him and Scrooge to uncover a horrible crime. Please see my profile for the link to the ld29info forum for the author's notes.


Launchpad whistled cheerfully to himself as he landed the plane in Duckburg. He had just come back from Ireland after picking up a shipment of Irish Linens for Mr. McD. He went back to unload the cargo, then stopped, listening. He heard sounds coming from one of the crates.

"What's that?" he thought, puzzled. "Did I pick up a stowaway? Why would they wait this long to-"

"Ouch!" two voices cried at the same time.

"Two stowaways?"

Launchpad went to that crate first. He suddenly realized this crate was not supposed to be here. He had counted them himself; there were supposed to be twenty, and he'd counted twenty before he left, so where had this one come from?

He didn't open crates for Mr. McD as a rule because Mr. McD preferred to open the crates and look at the merchandise himself, but this was different. There were live people in there, and it was probably very hard for them to breathe, even if the crate had holes in it. Besides, this one shouldn't even be here. Someone must have snuck it on when he was refueling, but why? Something told him these were not regular stowaways.

Launchpad didn't see any holes in the extra crate; those poor people must have been smothering in there! He got a crow bar and pried the lid open. He stared in shock at a crowd of leprechauns. He counted ten of them, and one of them looked familiar somehow.

"Why, you're that nice pilot who works for McDuck!" the familiar leprechaun cried, sounding surprised and relieved. "Your name is Launchpad, is it not?"

The voice was enough for Launchpad to realize why the leprechaun looked familiar; this was Far Daric, the leprechaun Mr. McD had tried to cheat in a rare moment of overpowering greed. Mr. McD was greedy; Launchpad had to admit that, but he rarely let his greed overcome his good qualities. The only time he'd ever tried to gain something dishonestly was when he tried to steal the golden fleece. It was his sense of right and wrong that had finally made him come to his senses when he realized a dragon was about to roast Launchpad. Mr. McD had finally realized that life was more important than gold.

Webby, who had instantly befriended Far Daric, had helped Mr. McD realize his greed was out of control when he tried to force Far Daric's king, Brian, to give Mr. McD the golden caverns. It wasn't exactly stealing because it was a granted wish, even if the leprechauns didn't want to grant it, and it wasn't exactly dishonest either since Mr. McD had saved Far Daric's life and one granted wish was the payment for that. The king had planned to have Mr. McD killed if Far Daric was forced to take him to the caverns.

Launchpad came out of his thoughts and smiled at the leprechauns.

"Yeah, and you're Far Daric, but what are you guys doing in here?"

"We were kidnapped," Far Daric said.

"Kidnapped? Who would kidnap a bunch of leprechauns and put them in my plane, and why?"

As he spoke, Launchpad began helping the leprechauns out of the crate.

Far Daric and the others looked at each other. They wanted to tell, but they were obviously afraid.

"We can trust him," Far Daric said. "Sure, 'n' Launchpad will help us when he finds out what we poor leprechauns have been through."

They had been captured by someone who called himself the Wish Bringer. He didn't want any of them to know his real name. He had caught and blindfolded them, then threw them in a crate, making vague threats of terrible punishments if they made a sound. He would pick them up again in America.

There had been a rash of leprechaun disappearances lately from the Emerald Isle. The Wish Bringer said he was sending them to different countries, and different parts of countries. He was using their power to grant wishes. He would sell the leprechauns to someone who was down on their luck. He told the leprechauns they would be very sorry if they didn't deliver and were sent back to him.

"But I thought you couldn't grant faerie wishes unless someone saved your lives."

""He set deadly traps for us, then when we called for help he saved us from them. As his wish he demanded for us to obey our new masters once he sold us. This was all after he threw a net over us and blindfolded us!"

Launchpad was furious. This guy was obviously a bully. These leprechauns were smaller than a small child; Webby had ridden with Far Daric in her lap during the flight to Ireland the last time.

Launchpad hated bullies. He wanted to make the Wish Bringer feel as helpless and defenseless as he'd made these poor leprechauns, and all the others he'd kidnapped and sold. Launchpad hoped there would be a way to free them, too.

"Where was this Wish Bringer supposed to pick you up?"

"He was going to slip into the plane while you unloaded it," Far Daric said. "He didn't think you'd count the crates, or that you'd notice him. He doesn't seem to think you're very smart."

Launchpad wondered if the Wish Bringer knew him. A lot of people didn't think he was smart. Either this creep knew him, or he had asked around about him and learned most people's opinion of him.

What they didn't know was that it was an over eagerness to please, not a lack of brains, that got Launchpad into most of the situations he'd gotten into. Other times, it was just bad luck. They also didn't realize that it wasn't' just good luck that had gotten him and his friends out of several messes; Armstrong and the Star Ship Phoenix were only two examples.

Gyro had created Armstrong and Major Courage was a fraud and a coward. Both those times, Launchpad had used his opponents' weaknesses to his advantage in order to save his friends. If he wasn't smart, he wouldn't have known to do that.

He had been reaching for something to hold on to when Armstrong had grabbed him, but he had been planning to pull the water release lever, anyway. Of course, water would short out an electronic robot. Anyone who knew anything about water and electricity and what happened when they mixed would know that.

He had taken control of the Phoenix to bring it back to Earth the first chance he got. If it had been left up to Major Courage, Launchpad and the kids would still be stuck in space on the Phoenix. But Launchpad still would have preferred that to being stuck on that planet with those hostile aliens.

"Well," Launchpad said, "this Wish Bringer's gonna have a big surprise when he comes for you guys. Come on; let's get to Mr. McD's office."

The leprechauns repeated their story for Scrooge, who was very skeptical. Far Daric did not have a good track record with Scrooge in terms of honesty.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? I remember you," he said, pointing at Far Daric.

Launchpad felt slightly frustrated. On one hand, he could understand why his boss wouldn't trust Far Daric. On the other, Mr. McD was not stupid. The leprechauns' story made sense, especially considering the way they'd been smuggled in. Launchpad had seen the evidence of their kidnapping himself and had thought Mr. McD would believe the evidence instead of his preconceived notions, but since he didn't, Launchpad would have to back them up.

"Mr. McD, I saw them in the crate. Why would ten leprechauns cram themselves into a crate? I mean, wouldn't they each pick their own crate and hide in the linens if they wanted to smuggle themselves into the country? Why would they want to smuggle themselves into the country in the first place?"

"To rob hard workers like me, of course!" Mr. McD said irritably. Then he looked thoughtful. "But you're right; they would have been sneakier about it."

"So how do we stop this guy?" Launchpad asked. "Should we call the police?"

"Eventually, yes, but I want to teach him a lesson first. I'm going to put the leprechauns in my money bin."

Launchpad smiled. No one could get past Mr. McD's traps. The Wish Bringer was going to have an impossible time getting at his slaves.

The leprechauns were having a ball when Launchpad and Scrooge left them in the money bin. They were under strict instructions not to take anything; Scrooge would be counting his money before any of the leprechauns were allowed to leave. Far Daric had tried unsuccessfully to rob Mr. McD, which was what got them both into that mess with the golden caverns in the first place.

But they were given permission to make as much noise as possible. That was exactly what Scrooge wanted. They were the bate for the Wish Bringer. The leprechauns were swimming in the money like Scrooge did when they closed the vault.

Scrooge had Duckworth send for Webby and the boys to help. School had just let out, so they would be looking to work off some pent up energy before they did their homework.

The plan was to use some of Gyro's little model robots, only remade with moving parts, to overpower the Wish Bringer. The kids were going to operate the robots by remote control. Launchpad offered to go get the robots from Gyro while Duckworth picked up the kids. Scrooge and Launchpad were also going to have robots, but they were going to have sheets over them. They were going to be the ghosts of two leprechauns who had died after being captured and sold. The Wish Bringer's greed was literally going to come back to haunt him.

While the kids used their remote controlled robots to attack him, Scrooge and Launchpad were going to use theirs to throw things at the Wish Bringer. Ghosts weren't supposed to be solid, so these two robots couldn't attack him directly.

Scrooge and Launchpad helped the kids paint the robots and dress them in green clothes. They looked like real leprechauns, and Webby was loving it. But she couldn't wait until this was over and that nasty man was locked up so she could see Far Daric again. He'd gone back to Ireland at the end of the summer and she hadn't seen him in weeks. She'd gotten used to having him with her and she really missed him.

The kids hid in the closet in Scrooge's office. Launchpad and Scrooge went to hide in the filing room. There was a pile of old files that were no longer needed stacked on the desk. Scrooge and Launchpad were going to use their robots to throw these at the Wish Bringer. The papers were only going in the garbage, anyway, so Scrooge decided there would be no harm in using them to make a mess. They were no longer valuable.

There were monitors all over Scrooge's office, including the filing room. Scrooge wanted to know immediately if anyone tried to break into the vault, and especially if Magica was trying to get his lucky dime again. They would be able to see everything the Wish Bringer did when he finally showed up to try to collect his prisoners.

They didn't have long to wait. About five minutes after everyone was safely hidden, the Wish Bringer snuck past Mrs. Featherby, or so he thought, and entered Scrooge's office, where the crates were stacked in a corner. Scrooge had instructed Mrs. Featherby to pretend not to notice the Wish Bringer and let him come in and do whatever he wanted.

The crate that had held the leprechauns was on top, wide open. The Wish Bringer stared, first confused, then angry. Where were his leprechauns?

He was dressed in black and wore glasses, fake ears and a mask. He looked ridiculous. Launchpad's anger at this man's obvious disregard for other people's freedom intensified when the Wish Bringer ran toward the noises the leprechauns were making in Mr. McD's vault, muttering something about how he would teach them to escape from him.

"They need to learn who's boss!" he said, a bit louder.

Scrooge and Launchpad looked at each other. There was something familiar about the Wish Bringer's voice. It was gravelly and had an accent.

"Is that who I think it is?" Launchpad whispered to Scrooge.

"I think so," Scrooge whispered back. "But we can't be sure until we can get that disguise off him. That'll be up to the kids."

One of the robots suddenly popped out of the closet.

"Hello, Wish Bringer!" Webby said. Her voice came out of the robot's voice box; it was exactly where a person's vocal cords would be. Webby, still hidden in the closet with the boys, was using the built in microphone attached to the remote control.

Launchpad was surprised to hear such a harsh tone coming out of Webby. She usually sounded so sweet.

The Wish Bringer jumped and let out a scream.

"Aye," Scrooge said, "it's him. I'd know that squawk anywhere. But let's catch him red handed. The kids will get the disguise off him and my security cameras will pick it up. Meanwhile, we can have our fun, too."

He laughed. Launchpad couldn't help smiling. Mr. McD gave that same laugh when he was about to shrewdly close a business deal.

The boys' robots popped out of the closet one by one.

"We escaped the people you sold us to, Webby continued. "We did not want to be slaves."

She adopted an Irish accent, getting into the part, trying her hardest not to tip the Wish Bringer off.

"Well, that's no problem," the wish Bringer said nastily. "I'll just sell you to someone else when I capture you again and get twice the-"

"You'll do no such thing," Scrooge said through his remote microphone, springing his robot out from the filing room. "Two of us died after you sold us and we're their ghosts."

Scrooge was glad there were similarities between Scottish and Irish accents; it meant he didn't have to try too hard to fake an Irish accent. There was a voice filter in the remote control, too, so the Wish Bringer had no idea it was Scrooge.

Launchpad's robot came out from behind Scrooge's, but Launchpad kept silent. His accent was totally different and he didn't want to try to fake one; he was afraid it would give him away. If he gave himself away, he would also give Scrooge away. He didn't want to do anything that would land these poor leprechauns back in the Wish Bringer's clutches.

He and Scrooge began using the robots to throw papers and other garbage at the Wish Bringer. The kids began chasing him with their robots. He didn't know whether he wanted to avoid the live leprechauns or the ghosts more; they were all furious with him. But the ones who were throwing things were ghosts, or so they claimed. He decided they would be the ones he had to avoid. But he would fight back with the live ones.

One of the live ones had a club, so the Wish Bringer also tried to avoid him. He didn't have much luck. Bubba's robot aimed his club carefully and knocked off the glasses, then the fake ears, then the mask. The robotic arms had strong grips, so there was no danger of the robot dropping Bubba's club at a crucial moment.

Flintheart Glomgold stood in front of them. He stared at the leprechauns.

"Well, OK," he said sulkily, "you got my disguise off, but that doesn't mean you'll win. I'm going to-"

"You'll do nothing, Glomgold," Scrooge said. He and Launchpad came out of the file room and removed the sheets from their robots.

"Scrooge!" Glomgold cried angrily. "You tricked me! I'll bet these other robots belong to your brats, too. They are robots, aren't they?"

"Aye. You didn't honestly think they were ghosts, did you?" Scrooge asked, sounding amused as he indicated the two uncovered robots. "Come on, Flinty. Even you're smarter than to believe in ghosts."

Glomgold said nothing.

"Your mistake was trying to smuggle them in on my plane," Launchpad said calmly. "I counted the crates before I left. There were twenty, but there were twenty-one when I got back."

He didn't want to tell Glomgold the leprechauns had given themselves away by making noise in the extra crate. If Glomgold ever got the chance, he would take revenge on the leprechauns if he knew they'd wrecked his plans.

"I knew that crate wasn't supposed to be there," Launchpad continued, "so I opened it to find out what was n it. I found your latest group of slaves and got them to tell me what they were doing in a crate on my plane. It wasn't hard to get them to talk; they wanted help. I've met one of them before; he wasn't very honest. I thought he might be up to no good." He apologized mentally to Far Daric, who was actually a decent guy once you got to know him. "He knew he could trust me and that I would help them." He let his anger show when he spoke his last sentence. "I don't let big guys pick on little guys.""

Glomgold scowled. Obviously he had underestimated Launchpad. He had counted on Launchpad not thinking to count the crates.

"Your career as the Wish Bringer is over, Glomgold," Scrooge said. Then he went to the intercom and told Mrs. Featherby to call the police.

Launchpad kept his eyes on Glomgold. He was not going to escape. Launchpad and the kids would see to that. This had to be the most rotten thing Glomgold had ever done.

"You'll never keep me in jail," Glomgold said angrily to Launchpad. "Do you think those leprechauns will testify against me? They're too scared."

"They know they don't have to be scared anymore," Launchpad said, his angry tone matching Glomgold's. "We're gonna make sure you never hurt any of the leprechauns again."

"But what about all the poor leprechauns he sold?" Webby asked.

"Don't worry about that, Webbigail," Scrooge said, smiling at her. "Glomgold had to have kept records. Every good businessman does, even crooks like him."

Glomgold tried to make a run for it. Launchpad caught him before he could take two steps.

"If you don't want to be tied up-" he began.

"No need for that, Sir," a gruff voice said from the doorway. The cops had arrived.

"Flintheart Glomgold, you're under arrest for kidnapping and slave trading."

They cuffed him and took him off to jail. Scrooge let the leprechauns out of his money bin, but they couldn't go back to Ireland until the trial was over. They were going to have to testify.

Bubba offered to let them stay in his cave with him and Tootsie. Webby was happy to have Far Daric back for a while and spent as much time with him and the others as she could. Scrooge had been pleased to see that none of his money was missing when he let the leprechauns out of his bin.

"Sure, 'n' I've changed," Far Daric said. "I know now how it feels to have something taken from you that you value. I almost lost me freedom. If it hadn't been for you and Launchpad and the wee ones, I'd be a slave to whoever the Wish Bringer thought fit to sell me to."

Glomgold's records were found and all the leprechauns were freed. There were too many to put with Bubba and the ones Launchpad had freed, so they were invited to stay at the mansion.

The day before the trial, the leprechauns went to Launchpad.

"We've been thinking," Far Daric said, "and because you saved our lives, we'd like to each grant you a faerie wish. If you hadn't gotten us out of that crate on your plane, we would still be slaves. You earned your wishes honestly."

"Thanks, guys," Launchpad said with a smile, "but there are people who need wishes a lot more than I do."

"But these belong to you."

Launchpad thought for a minute. He didn't really need anything. Then he had an idea.

"Come with me."

He brought them to the Duckburg Orphanage. Launchpad thought it was quite a coincidence that there happened to be as many leprechauns as there were kids in the orphanage. He smiled, thinking everything happened for a reason. He told each leprechaun to pick a kid and give him or her a faerie wish.

"Aren't you sweet!" Salvation Mary, the woman who collected money for the poor, said to Launchpad as they watched the leprechauns talking to the fascinated kids. She also volunteered at the orphanage. "But where did you find all these leprechauns and how did you get them to do this?"

Launchpad told her the story. She listened with interest.

"And you gave your wishes to these poor little children! What a sweet young man!"

"They need them more than I do."

Later, Launchpad and the leprechauns left the orphanage, all feeling that as horrible as this had been for the leprechauns, at least some good was able to come of it. Tomorrow would be good, too, because they could make sure Glomgold could never hurt them or any other leprechaun again.

The trial didn't take long. The evidence against Glomgold was overwhelming. Besides the records, they also had Scrooge's security video. Some of the leprechauns testified as to how they were captured and Launchpad told the jury how he'd found the ten leprechauns on his plane.

Glomgold still tried to play innocent. He had paid several witnesses to try to give him alibis, but with the records, security tape and the testimony, he didn't have a chance. Everyone he'd bribed was arrested on charges of perjury and Glomgold was given a very unusual sentence.

"I don't think being in jail is going to work for you," the judge said thoughtfully. "I think you need a punishment that will stick with you, Mr. Glomgold. You need to learn a very important lesson."

Glomgold stared back defiantly.

"I'm the second richest duck in the world," he said threateningly. "I could have your job."

"This is what I mean. You think your money and power can get you out of anything. Not this time, Sir. This time you're going to take responsibility for your actions. I sentence you to serve the people you tried to enslave for a year. You will do anything they tell you to do."

"But, Sir," Far Daric said. Somehow he'd become the unofficial spokesman for all the leprechauns. "We wish to go back to Ireland. We're homesick."

"That's all right," the judge said, smiling. "Mr. Glomgold will go to Ireland with you. You wanted to be the Wish Bringer, Mr. Glomgold? You will be. You'll carry out these leprechauns' every wish for the next year."

Glomgold glared, but even he knew better than to press his luck. Scrooge offered to have him tracked to make sure he carried out his sentence. The judge agreed, since ankle bracelets had a limited range. If Glomgold had to go to Ireland with the leprechauns, they wouldn't be able to track him that way. With Scrooge involved, Glomgold knew he was licked.

Everyone had a celebratory dinner at the mansion when it was over. Even Scrooge had come to like all the leprechauns. He'd forgiven Far Daric for trying to rob him.

"Do you think Mr. Glomgold will be sorry, Uncle Scrooge?" Webby asked.

"Maybe," Scrooge said. "I wouldn't count on it, though. Men like Flintheart rarely change. Glomgold will probably be sorry he got caught, and for the sentence he was given, but not that he tried to enslave the leprechauns. He'll just consider it a money-making scheme that went belly-up."

"What are you guys gonna make him do?" Launchpad asked.

"We're going to find the most humiliating, demeaning jobs possible," the female leprechaun next to him said. "If Mr. McDuck's right and we can't make him feel guilty, maybe we can at least humble him, even if only for the time he's with us."

Launchpad and Scrooge smiled at each other, Launchpad picturing Glomgold cleaning tiny chamber pots and Scrooge picturing all the money he'd be making while Glomgold was being the slave he tried to make others. Scrooge would be earning an honest living while Glomgold would be the equivalent of a scullery maid. Launchpad's smile widened as he saw Scrooge's eyes become dollar signs and heard the cash register sound that always accompanied that expression. Mr. McD was nothing if not predictable when it came to money.

"Who's gonna run Glomgold's businesses while he's gone?" Dewey asked.

"Oh, I'm sure he's got someone to fill in for him," Scrooge said.

"They'll probably be as dishonest as he is, though," Launchpad said.

"Aye, but he and his businesses are being closely watched after this Wish Bringer business. I'm going to have some of my people watching, too. I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure there will be no more Wish Bringers."

Launchpad offered to fly the leprechauns back to Ireland. It was mostly out of a desire to help them get home, but it was also to make sure Glomgold wouldn't try anything funny. He didn't have to worry. The leprechauns had all the bases covered. There would be no way for Glomgold to get out of this one.

King Brian was waiting for them when they landed. He asked to speak to Launchpad alone.

"We Leprechauns are in your debt."

"They paid it already. They each granted me a faerie wish. I gave my wishes to an orphanage. It's not like what the Wish bringer did because-"

"You earned your wishes and didn't force them to be granted. But the entire leprechaun community owes you, and Mr. McDuck and his children. Please pass on the message to them that if any of you ever need help, you can always call on the leprechauns of the Emerald Isle."

Launchpad smiled as he took off, headed back to Duckburg. Part of him felt sorry for Glomgold because he would never know what Scrooge had learned. Sometimes Mr. McD needed to be reminded, but he never forgot the lesson for long. You can never have too many friends.


End file.
